The Connection between Back Pain and Emotions
The Connection between Back Pain and Emotions Most people struggle with pain. Back pain seems to be the most common. There are three main types of back pain; lower, middle or thoracic and upper which usually involves the neck. While back pain can be from a structural issue, for example stenosis which is a narrowing of the vertebrae, muscle and fascia tightening or tight and twisted tendons which can cause pain. All of these can also cause radiculopathy or sciatica, which is a nerve type of pain that goes down the arm or leg. it can travel down the side, the back or even the front and can result in numbness or tingling, most commonly in the hand or foot. When the issue is a physical one, a patient will respond to modalities such as massage, chiropractic and physical therapy. When someone is not responding to these modalities, the issue may be in the patient’s emotional state. This is very common. We especially see this in situations where pain suddenly “flares up”. When things “flare up”, it’s your body’s way of saying that it needs attention, rest, or a sign that you’re not managing emotions successfully. Think of back pain as a way of diagnosing. It lets you know what might need adjusting in your life. As mentioned, there are three main sections of the back; lower, middle or thoracic and upper. Upper Back (upper shoulder blades and lower neck) –This is the area of the Lung meridian which is associated with emotion grief. Sadness, grieving a loss or the feeling of not being able to move, feeling stagnated, the age old “wallowing in grief”. Middle Back (lower shoulder blades, thoracic): This is the area of the Spleen. In Chinese medicine the Spleen emotions are worry or pensiveness. When these emotions get triggered, it can cause stuck energy in the middle back and shoulder blades. Lower Back (lumbar spine, hips): The lower back is connected with the Kidney meridian, which has so much to do with a sense of security and stability. This makes total sense as the hips and low back are the foundation for the spine and in some ways the entire body. Unexpressed frustration or feelings of being unsupported can create blockages in the Kidney which can manifest as stiffness and pain in the lower back and hips. There might also be fear or an inability to ‘walk’ through life because everything feels so unstable. Acupuncture can heal this by enhancing circulation to the area, hereby bringing down inflammation, but also moving stagnate energy. Every acupuncture session treats the physical, emotional and spiritual plane, there is no separation. The musculoskeletal system (muscles, tendons, bone), all the internal organs (impacting sleep, digestion, immunity, etc) and the mind (impacting the hormones, neurotransmitters and emotions), everything gets addressed. If this resonates with you at all and you are curious, please reach out, we’d love to hear from you.
Feeling inflamed? Eat like this!
Feeling inflamed? Eat like this! Inflammation does not discriminate! We all fall victim to it at one point or another. Low back pain, neck pain, joint swelling, even stomach issues like anything that ends in an -itis is otherwise known as inflammation. Try this way of eating to reset your body and bring down the inflammation in your system. Steamed vegetables: Steamed vegetables are more easily digested and this can help increase the availability of nutrients in order to enable healing of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Minimize usage of raw vegetables. Eat a variety of vegetables (except nightshades including tomatoes, potatoes (no sweet potatoes), bell peppers and eggplants), especially the lower carbohydrate type. Lower carbohydrate vegetables include asparagus, bean sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, kale, beet greens, cucumber, endive, lettuce, mustard greens, radish, spinach, watercress, arugula, string beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, chives, collards, kohlrabi, leeks, onion, parsley, pumpkin, rutabagas and turnips. The higher carbohydrate vegetables include artichoke, parsnip, green peas, squash, carrots. Grains: Eat 1-2 cups of cooked grains per day and avoid wheat-derived grains. Examples of allowed grains include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, basmati or brown rice, rye, teff (note, Teff bread at the local Ethiopian restaurants are usually made with wheat). Legumes: Eat a variety of any legumes that you are able to tolerate. It is best to use dried organic beans, soaked overnight, then cooked to taste. Examples include split peas, lentils, kidney beans, aduki beans, mung beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans. Fish and Eggs: Deep-sea ocean fish (vs. farmed in which fish are commonly fed corn and cement)) is preferred. Ask the person behind the counter at the supermarket! Avoid shellfish. The best types of fish include salmon, halibut, cod, sardines, mackerel. The fish should be poached, steamed, baked or broiled (poached or steamed is best). Organic, free range eggs are best and pouched retains the nutritional value. Milk products: Only organic, raw milk is acceptable. Organic Greek yogurt is also a good milk protein. Meat and Poultry: Eat only the meat and not the skin of free-range or organically grown chicken or turkey. Bake, broil or steam the poultry. Beef, buffalo and lamb in smaller portions are acceptable. Fruit: Eat 1-2 pieces of seasonal fruits with the exception of citrus. Like vegetables, try to eat the low carb fruits. Low carb fruits include: cantaloupe, rhubarb, strawberries, melons, apricot, blackberries, cranberries, papaya, peach, plum, raspberries, kiwi. Higher carb fruits include apple, blueberries, cherries, grapes, mango, pear, pineapple, pomegranate, banana, figs, prunes, dried fruit. Sweeteners: Use very small amounts of maple syrup, rice syrup, barley syrup, honey or stevia. Do NOT use sugar, NutraSweet, Sweet and Low, Splenda or Equal, never. Seeds and Nuts: Grind organic whole flax, pumpkin, sesame or sunflower seeds and add to steamed vegetables, cooked grains, smoothies, etc. Consume at least 1 T whole flax or 2 T ground flax per day to modulate inflammation and promote detoxification of harmful substances in the body. Nut and seed butters are allowed but peanut is absolutely forbidden. Butter/Oils: When cooking, do not use extra virgin olive oil. You may use oils such as coconut oil (especially for higher heat), rice bran oil, butter or ghee (clarified butter). We recommend you avoid canola oil at any temperature. Extra virgin olive oil is fine for any other situation requiring oil. Refrigerate all cooking oils. To Drink: Please consume a MINIMUM of 6 to 8 glasses of spring or reverse-osmosis water every day. We recommend you use different sources regularly. Small amounts of rice, oat or almond milk are allowed. For the time being, avoid the following foods: All wheat products (including breads, white flour) Tomatoes Potatoes Corn products Peanuts/peanut butter Any processed food Coffee Alcohol Colas Fried foods No Calorie Sweeteners, (NutraSweet, Sweet and Low, Equal) Use glass or ceramics whenever possible to store food and water. Heat up your food using a glass or ceramic bowl covered with dish. When plastic is heated, it diffuses very rapidly into food. Use a simple detergent with less chemicals; Nature Clean is a good choice for both laundry detergent and dishwashing detergent. Simple Soap is a safe choice for shampoo and body soap. Use natural pest control not pesticides. Avoid Synthetic Chemicals – Healthy Living in a Toxic World by Cynthia Fincher PhD. is a good place to start. Buy hormone free meats to eat. Buy “Organic” produce, produce grown without pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizer or hormones. Do not use microwaves. The very important changes to make are do NOT eat or drink out of HOT plastic. (ie: Water bottles left in the car, microwave your food in plastic)
What is the deal with Cupping?
What is the deal with Cupping? Tao to Wellness, Berkeley CA What is the deal with Cupping ? Ever since Michael Phelps proudly showed his red and purple dots all over his body, we have gotten a ton of calls at Tao to Wellness asking if we do this ancient practice. Yes, we do it! And yes, it’s awesome. Patients get it for many purposes, including to help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation and well-being, and as a type of deep-tissue massage. Cupping therapy might be trendy now, but it’s not new. It dates back to ancient Egyptian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern cultures. One of the oldest medical textbooks in the world, the Ebers Papyrus, describes how the ancient Egyptians used cupping therapy in 1,550 B.C. There are different methods of cupping, including: Dry and Wet. During both types of cupping, your therapist will put a flammable substance such as alcohol, herbs, or paper in a cup and set it on fire. As the fire goes out, he puts the cup upside down on your skin. As the air inside the cup cools, it creates a vacuum. This causes your skin to rise and redden as your blood vessels expand. The cup is generally left in place for up to 3 minutes. A more modern version of cupping uses a rubber pump instead of fire to create the vacuum inside the cup. Sometimes therapists use silicone cups, which they can move from place to place on your skin for a massage-like effect. Wet cupping creates a mild suction by leaving a cup in place for about 3 minutes. The therapist then removes the cup and uses a small scalpel to make light, tiny cuts on your skin. Next, he or she does a second suction to draw out a small quantity of blood. Unfortunately, this ancient practice is now illegal in California, there is just too much risk with blood borne pathogens, infection and acupuncturists using ‘dirty cups’, so we do not offer this service at Tao to Wellness. That being said, Dry cupping is more than enough for most issues or in conjunction with acupuncture. You might get 3-5 cups in your first session. Or you might just try one to see how it goes. It’s rare to get more than 5-7 cups. You may be left with strange alien like dots that range from pink to sometimes even black, but the health benefits outweigh the temporary fashion statement. Come in to Tao to Wellness for some cupping—at just $60 a session or used in conjunction with Acupuncture ($95 for both) it is an amazing tool that can heal that body from inflammation, stress, congestion or just used for relaxation. Love, Christina Martin, L.Ac., DIPL.AC, ABORM, MTOM Tao to Wellness 809 Hearst Ave Berkeley, CA 94710 www.taotowellness.com 510.883.0383
